1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an assembly turret with a universal nest for receiving and positioning articles relative to each other for assembly.
2. Description of Background Art
Hithertofore, turret assemblies have been manufactured to perform a specific work process on an object which has a predetermined size. As the size of the object is varied, a new turret or nests assembly may be required. The turret assemblies are built on the basis that they are capable of being changed over to assemble other parts of similar configuration on the same machine. In most instances, the changeover requires that the machine must be provided with extra product component part holding fixtures or nests. The holding fixtures or nests and guides are specifically built to accommodate other product component parts of different sizes. The extra holding fixtures or nests must be stored in a location away from the machine while the extra holding fixtures or nests and guides are not in use. Thus, there is a chance of damage or loss of the extra holding fixtures or nests. Furthermore, replacing or exchanging the holding fixtures or nests is often a very time-consuming process which requires exacting settings and other complicated procedures.
With our modern age of industrial automation, it has reached the stage where many manufacturing processes are conducted with a minimal amount of human labor and/or intervention. In addition, the automated processes operate at a much higher speed and produce an output capacity which is greater than the output capacity obtained with manual labor. The end product is characterized by a uniform quality with a reduced waste due to the fact that the parts are manufactured by the same method. Productivity is greatly enhanced due to automation.
One of the shortcomings of automation relates to the high cost of purchasing automated machinery. Machinery and systems which are dedicated to processing only one product may require a considerable amount of capital investment. The machinery must be utilized over an extended period of time in order to fully amortize the cost of the machinery.